


electric blue

by stagemanager



Series: Gemhog AU [3]
Category: Sonic the Hedgehog (2020)
Genre: Adopted Children, Alternate Universe, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Found Family, Gemhog AU, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Parent-Child Relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-26
Updated: 2020-06-26
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:09:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24928222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stagemanager/pseuds/stagemanager
Summary: (Takes place afterchaos theory.)Learning to adjust after everything that happens is a messy, tear-filled process.ON HIATUS
Relationships: Maddie Wachowski/Tom Wachowski
Series: Gemhog AU [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1708957
Comments: 7
Kudos: 67





	electric blue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dedicated to SmallPwbbles and LiterallyCantChooseJustOneFandom. You guys are awesome.

Tuesday evening. Maddie is setting up the dinner table, arranging taco shells and tortillas on a large dish. In the midst of her preparations, the front door swings open. Tom steps through the threshold, keys in one hand and a canvas bag in the other. He ambles into the kitchen, placing a container of sour cream on the counter. 

Maddie gives her husband a peck on the cheek. “Thanks for running to the store last minute. I swear I had it written on my list.”

Tom grins, giving a quick but sincere “No problem”. Putting his keys away, he washes his hands at the sink. After drying them, he surveys the room. The sheriff tilts his head.

“Is he upstairs?” He inquires, noting the lack of blue in the room. 

His wife’s expression falls, turning serious. “Yes. He… He fell asleep while he was trying to help me with dinner.”

A heavy silence descends on the couple, memories flooding into their minds. 

The first three days passed by in a daze, relief and joy washing over every moment. Tom and Maddie had called off so they could spend time with Sonic. There was endless laughter and kisses and hugs. Saying ‘Mom’ and ‘Dad’ and ‘Son’ so many times, and yet never wearing the words out. Warm. Happy. Nice.

And then they started noticing things. 

Sonic was always a being in motion, never standing or sitting completely still. He was a ball of energy, bouncing even with his words. But something had diminished that excitement. Despite his best attempts to cover it up, the teenager was moving much more slowly than usual. He would zone out in the midst of a conversation, hollow eyes glazing over before snapping back into focus with a hastily plastered grin. At one point, he had stumbled over his feet, his coordination and reflexes failing for a moment. 

Every time Tom or Maddie asked Sonic how he was doing, he would respond with a fast ‘I’m fine’ before switching the subject. The two humans had tried on multiple occasions on trying to get the speedster to be honest with them, but he still remained closed off to them. They had hoped this would change after everything they’d gone through together. But maybe too much has changed. And too quickly.

The click of claws on hardwood draws the humans from their thoughts. Ozzie wanders into the kitchen, lured in by the various scents of food. 

Tom sighs and gives an amused smile. “Sorry, boy,” he apologizes, nudging the drooling dog away from the table. “This isn’t for you.”

The canine whines, ears flopping over. His master huffs. 

“Alright, alright! Here.”

Plucking a morsel from the plate, Tom tosses a piece of chicken to the canine. In a blink, Ozzie gobbles it up, his tail wagging furiously. 

Maddie giggles at the display. Upon seeing her husband offer another piece to the retriever, her brow furrows in mock anger. “Hey, don’t eat all of it! Some of us want some too!”

At once, Tom freezes, caught in the act. A hint of pink dusts his face, and his wife laughs again. 

“What am I going to do with you, Thomas?” Maddie sighs. Tom comes up behind her, wrapping his arms around her torso.

“Finally take your sister’s advice and divorce me?” He replies, giving her a light peck on the cheek.

“Mmm. Sounds like a good idea.”

The floorboards creak quietly again, causing Tom and Maddie to look up. They turn around just in time to see their dog bounding excitedly up the stairs. There’s a loud thump and then a familiar voice cries out. A few seconds later, Sonic shambles into the kitchen, quills disheveled. He plops into a chair, a thoroughly disappointed pout on his face.

“We live in the same house. We see each other everyday. Why?” He mutters aloud to no one in particular, zipping his jacket up all the way. The teal fabric covers the gem in his chest.

For a brief moment, Maddie’s mouth straightens into a thin line. But her displeasure disappears as quickly as it appeared, replaced by a cordial grin. Friendly. Understanding.

Trying not to think about what-ifs and empty rooms.

The adults sit down next to their son. Grabbing a tortilla, Tom fills it with chicken before adding lettuce, cheese, and onions. 

“Did you sleep well, kiddo?” He asks, topping his taco off with a dollop of sour cream. 

Almost immediately, the hedgehog’s ears perk up. “Y-Yeah,” he mumbles, not removing his gloves and slowly assembling his own taco. The kid is usually super excited for tacos. 

His parents swallow the sour taste that immediately leaps to their tongues.

“That’s good,” Maddie simply states, covering for her husband’s silence. She observes Sonic for a moment before finally taking a bite of her food. The sound of a taco shell breaking is deafening. Across the table, Tom eats his flour tortilla wrapped taco.

Sonic chews quietly, emerald eyes darting between his parents. He swallows.

 _“So!”_ He starts, the sudden word briefly startling the others. The reactions cause a jitter in his chest, like a vine wrapping around his heart. Scared them, you scared them, they’re _scared_ of _you._

The speedster pastes a grin on his face. “When do I get to go back to school?”

Immediately, the adults freeze, pupils dilating by the tiniest degree. The vine coils tighter around Sonic’s chest.

Compassion spreads across Maddie’s expression. “Sonic…” she starts, and the teenager’s ears hike up.

 _“Yes?”_ He responds, a little too quickly. Worried. His mother pauses, pushing aside the emotions swirling in her head. Gentle. She needs to be gentle. 

“Are you cold?”

“No. Why… _Wh-Why do you think I’m cold?”_

“You’re wearing a jacket.”

With one simple statement, Sonic freezes. Unadulterated panic floods his face before being hastily covered up by a grin and nervous laughter.

His parents share a look. 

“Buddy…” Tom frowns. “We _talked_ about this. You don’t need to hide your gem.”

Sonic’s eyes flash. _“I-I’m not hiding my gem!”_ The hedgehog shouts, a hand reflexively flying to his chest. His ears slink back as bristled quills glow faintly. 

“Sonic…” Tom begins, focus locked on his son. Sparks of electricity arc from Sonic’s body, cyan bleeding into emerald irises. 

At mention of his name, the speedster seems to flinch back slightly. His eyes widen, mind finally registering the static in the air. Electricity. He glances down, his breath hitching almost instantly.

_“N-No…”_

Being closer, Maddie is the first to react. She grabs Sonic’s hands, causing him to gasp. “Look at me, baby. Can you take a deep breath? We’ll do it together.” In an exaggerated and deliberate manner, the veterinarian inhales. The first time she does it, her son doesn’t follow. Maddie lightly squeezes his hands, trying to get the teen’s attention. This time, he joins her in the exercise, his breaths coming in shaky and somewhat shallow. It’s good enough. The light fades from his quills and his irises return to their usual emerald green.

But the jittering feeling in his chest, right below where his gem sits, remains. 

Sonic looks down blankly before raising his eyes to his parents’ level. Both of them are wearing the same expression. The pity face. The delicate face. The ‘accommodating his needs’ face. _That_ face.

Before Tom or Maddie can react, Sonic races upstairs. The hedgehog leaps onto his bed, pulling Peeps close. He curls into himself, screwing his eyes shut as his heart rate shoots up again.

It’s been two weeks! He shouldn’t… He shouldn’t be feeling like this anymore! He’s home, Maddie and Tom called him son, everything’s so much better! Why won’t these feelings just go away already? He’s back to normal, it’s fine, everything is _fine!_

Sonic’s body abruptly spasms, back arching unnaturally. Peeps tumbles from his grip, falling onto the floor next to the bed. Agony pierces through his torso, his chest suddenly feeling like a furnace. Trembling hands fumble with his jacket, barely managing to pull the zipper down. Alarms blare in his mind as another wave of fire spreads across his body, causing him to groan. Clawing at his chest, he feels the hot surface of his gemstone even through his gloves. 

His pupils shrink to pinpoints as he finally recognizes the horrible sensation.

 _“Sonic?”_ Someone calls. At once, a blue ear twitches and the speedster’s head whips up to see Tom and Maddie emerging from the trapdoor. The lights click on. 

_No… Not them! I can’t let them see this!_

Snapping his eyes closed, Sonic tries to force down the chaos raging inside of him. But his attempts only seem to exacerbate the situation, the pain worsening. His fear is too strong of an emotion. Over the pounding in his ears, he hears the sound of fabric ripping. Electricity crackles both inside and out, the fog growing thicker and thicker.

 _“Mom! Dad! Don’t—ACK!”_ The hedgehog chokes on his words, hands flying up to reveal a brightly glowing gemstone. Sharp claws brush against his neck as he grasps the area. Sonic shivers even as the burning heat spreads to his extremities, his body feeling as if it’s going to explode. Pressure builds on his forearms, spikes pushing their way out of his flesh. Through his pain-filled daze, he hears the sound of footsteps. The teenager snaps his jaw shut, but his elongated fangs still poke out from his mouth.

_“Sonic, what’s—”_ Tom attempts to ask before instantly freezing at the sound of a shrill scream. 

_“Get out of here! PLEASE!”_ Sonic shrieks, one final word before the walls come crashing down. Less than one second later, the worst of the pain ravages his body, having been forced back for too long.

Tom and Maddie watch in pure shock as a familiar fin erupts from Sonic’s forehead. The hedgehog’s clothes are shredded to ribbons as claw-tipped paws rip through them, his normally thin limbs expanding to a larger size. Bone cracks audibly as his skeletal structure adapts to a quadruped range of motion. His short tail stretches into a long wolf’s tail, able to move much more freely. Curiously, rather than scales covering his body, he retains his cobalt fur, though it is accented by white and sky blue. His gem pulses cyan in his chest.

Transformation complete, Sonic collapses onto the bed. He whimpers softly before going eerily silent. 

Tom is the first to speak, carefully starting towards the ball of fur. Maddie follows a step behind. 

_“Son?”_ The sheriff tries, reaching towards Sonic. The transformed hedgehog recoils back a degree, letting out a whine. Tom immediately pulls his hand back. _“Buddy?”_ He attempts again, tone gentler. This time, the ball of fur shifts slightly before uncurling. 

The humans can’t suppress their gasps when they finally see Sonic’s transformed state. It… 

It looks like his giant monster form.

Seeing his parents’ faces, Sonic lets out a whimper. He shuffles away from them, backing into the headboard of the bed with his tail between his legs. His ears flop over, his back arching. Like a scared pupp—

The veterinarian mentally hits herself. Of course. What does he _look_ like?

Kneeling down on the floor, Maddie silently directs Tom to do the same. She pats her knees, causing blue ears to flick in her direction. _“Sonic?”_ The woman whispers, praying that he still recognizes his name.

For several moments, Sonic’s eyes—emerald irises surrounded by black sclera—study the veterinarian. Gradually, he inches towards the foot of the bed, to where Maddie and Tom are. Though the movements are small, his body moves fluidly, as if he has been this shape for his entire life. 

His parents try not to think about that too much.

Slowly, Maddie raises her right hand—palm facing up—while looking away. Sonic takes a step back before tilting his head to the side. One of his ears perks up, cautiously curious. Staring at the woman’s hand, he presses his snout into it, taking a deep whiff. At once, spices pour into his nose: pepper, oregano, paprika, and several others. Sonic’s face crinkles, the scents a little too strong for his liking. But somewhere behind the spices is a milder, softer perfume. Chamomile and lavender. Freshly laundered towels. Mom.

_Mom._

Maddie lets out a wheeze as her now-larger son suddenly pounces onto her. Tom reaches towards his wife in a panic before reality catches up to him. He lets out a deep sigh of relief before sliding closer to the rest of his family.

Sonic nuzzles against his mother’s chest, pressing into every curve of her body as a keening cry escapes his lips. Meanwhile, Maddie wraps her arms around him, one of her hands lightly petting his ears. 

_“Shhhh…”_ she soothes, pausing to press a kiss to Sonic’s head. _“It’s okay. We’ve got you, baby.”_ At her words, her son moans again, burying his face deeper into her blouse.

For several minutes, the family of three sits in silence, the only sound being whimpers and a quiet voice. But eventually, the whining fades off.

Maddie rubs Sonic’s head one last time, taking care to avoid the fin on his crown. Her son glances up at her, tears still spilling down his muzzle. Gently, the woman wipes them away. _“Sonic?”_ She says. Two emerald orbs focus on her. _Intelligent_ eyes. Maddie turns words over in her head. “Can you speak?”

A look of concentration passes over Sonic’s face, the transformed hedgehog appearing deep in thought. A rumbling sound comes out of his mouth, and he blinks in confusion. Another attempt yields a bark and no words. Ears flopping down, Sonic shakes his head sadly.

Tom reaches down and tenderly lifts his son’s head. “Hey, don’t worry about it,” he comforts, grinning at Sonic. Some of the tension drains from his body before a sudden sound draws everyone’s attention. Tail wagging, Ozzie comes bounding into the attic. Before the dog can get close, Maddie moves her arms to cover Sonic.

“Tom, can you—”

“On it.”

Without missing a beat, Tom stands up and shepherds Ozzie down the stairs. Maddie peers back down at Sonic, the teenager balled up as best as he can in this form. 

“He’s gone. You can relax now.”

Slowly, Sonic relaxes. He blinks, looking somewhere between confused and anxious. Maddie hesitates before speaking again.

“Are you scared of Ozzie?” She asks. Within milliseconds, Sonic rapidly shakes his head no. His response is a little too quick and his mother lifts an eyebrow. This time, the transformed hedgehog gives a tiny nod.

A considerate smile materializes on Maddie’s face. “Sonic, it’s _okay._ Everything's a little crazy right now, and you don't have to be ashamed.” 

Sonic looks down, ears slumped. His eyes wander around the attic for a minute before a squeaky yawn escapes from his lips, the teenager almost seeming puzzled at his action. He blinks several times. 

“Someone’s tired,” Maddie teases kindly, shifting the child in her arms. He’s a little more cumbersome to carry now with his claws and spikes, but she manages. She sets Sonic down on the bed, picking up Peeps and placing the toy next to him. The transformed hedgehog shuffles in place.

“What is it?” The veterinarian asks, noticing her son staring at her. Sonic lets out a noise somewhere between a growl and a rumble, his ears flattening against his head. The jewel in his chest shines brighter.

Maddie frowns, flummoxed. She’s about to ask Sonic another question in an effort to figure out what’s wrong when she hears footsteps. Brown eyes turn to see Tom emerging from the trapdoor. 

“Ozzie’s downstairs. And I cleaned up the table.”

“Thank you.”

Tom walks over to the bed, sitting down on the mattress. Sonic yawns again, his tongue popping out for a brief moment. At once, the teen tosses his head from side to side, his whole body shaking. He blinks rapidly again. 

The thought tugging at Maddie’s brain finally pulls itself together, and she mentally slaps herself. It’s so _obvious._ His lack of energy. Resisting sleep despite how clear his need is. Avoiding any talk of the ‘incident’ and any inquiries into his well-being. Covering up his gem. And now this. 

Tikal said that the emeralds were affected by emotions.

Maddie exhales, a weary but understanding noise. She smiles softly. “Have you been having nightmares, baby?” The woman asks gently. “Is that why you haven’t been sleeping well?”

Almost immediately, Sonic’s pupils dilate. His tail stills and his ears stand straight up. He sits there like a deer in the headlights, emerald orbs locked onto his mother, before finally deflating. There’s no use hiding it anymore. Not when… 

Not when the truth is sitting in front of them, claws and all.

Tom sucks in a breath. Slowly, he reaches over and pets his son’s ears. Though his expression remains downcast, Sonic’s tail wags slightly. 

An idea forms in the sheriff’s mind. “Alright, munchkin,” he starts. “How about this? You can sleep with Maddie and I tonight. Then you won’t have any nightmares. That sound okay?”

In an instant, Sonic’s eyes light up. He jumps to all four paws, tail swishing excitedly. 

His father grins. “So that’s a yes, I’m guessing.” The transformed hedgehog lets out a bark of affirmation. Tom glances over to his wife, who nods back at him. He looks back down at Sonic. “Do you want me to carry you?”

The question catches the teen by surprise. He blinks, tilting his head. After a couple of seconds, Sonic returns his gaze to Tom, his eyes large and round. He nods vehemently.

Tom chuckles quietly. “Okay.” Taking care to avoid Sonic's gemstone as well as the spikes on his front paws, the sheriff gently scoops his son into his arms and rises from the bed. Maddie walks behind the two males, switching off the lights and following them out of the attic. At the bottom of the stairs, she hands Peeps to Sonic, who carefully takes the toy in his mouth.

“I’ll be back in just a moment. I have to finish cleaning up dinner.” Maddie explains before going down to the first floor. Sonic’s ears flop over, but he nods in understanding. He watches his mother descend down the stairs.

“C’mon,” Tom says, and emerald eyes focus on him. “I know something we can do.”

* * *

Despite Maddie’s best efforts, Ozzie follows her up the stairs. His bed is in their bedroom and she hopes that Sonic will be okay seeing the dog again.

As she pushes the door open, she is greeted by a calming perfume. Her wide eyes scan the room and find a small bottle of lavender on Tom’s nightstand, next to a glowing lamp. 

Upon seeing his mother, Sonic’s tail begins wagging. He hops onto the end of the bed, yipping happily. On instinct, Ozzie lets out a bark of his own. Sonic winces at the sound.

Tom quickly places a hand onto Sonic’s back, rubbing in small circular motions. “Easy. Ozzie’s not gonna hurt you.”

Slowly, the tension drains out of the teen’s body. One ear raised, he leans towards Ozzie. The golden retriever sniffs him once before suddenly licking the transformed hedgehog. Instantly, Sonic yelps, shrinking back.

Maddie and Tom can’t help but laugh at their son’s dejected expression. The teenager sniffles, muzzle scrunching up. He huffs, throwing an annoyed look at his parents.

“Alright, alright,” Maddie relents, raising her arms. The woman ushers the canine to his bed before ducking into the bathroom. When she emerges, teeth brushed and clad in her pajamas, Ozzie is already dozing on his little bed. She slips under the covers, holding a section of the blanket up. Sonic immediately dives under the sheets. He spins in a circle three times before nestling close as his mother drapes an arm around him. Peeps is tucked under one of his paws, the teen cuddling the stuffed toy.

Tom takes the chance to go into the bathroom and do his own bedtime routine. Turning off the light, he closes the bathroom door behind him. The sheriff slides into bed on the other side, shutting off the lamp as he pulls the blanket up. Even in the darkness, he can see Sonic slumbering peacefully, ears twitching occasionally. His parents observe him for a minute before looking at each other.

“Do you think this is permanent?” Tom whispers, concern seeping into his tone. Maddie’s face falls.

“I… I don’t know. We should visit Tikal and ask her tomorrow. I’m not in a hurry to go back there but…” She pauses, stroking Sonic’s fur. The teenager snuggles closer. “I’ll do it for him.”

Tom leans over to kiss his wife’s cheek. “I love you so much,” he grins softly.

“I know,” she smiles back.

The sheriff shifts to his side, trying to get into a more comfortable position. As he drifts off to sleep, the last thing he sees are his wife and son.

* * *

Maddie is the first to wake the next morning, the sound of Tom’s quiet snores filling the air. Sunlight streams through the window, fingers of light poking at her eyes. She rolls over, still feeling tired. That’s when she realizes that something is off.

In an instant, the veterinarian’s eyes snap down. She gasps, eyes widening. 

Instead of a large mass of fluff, there is a smaller, pointier ball beside her. With the fin gone, Sonic’s head presses flat against her side, still craving her warm presence.

With a small smile, Maddie pulls her son close, careful not to wake him. The hedgehog melts into her embrace.

She doesn’t know when, how, or why he’s suddenly back to normal. Tikal did say that the emeralds were affected by emotions, and maybe all he needed was a little love and support. Letting his guard down, even for just a little. Maybe that was it.

Maddie presses a kiss to the teen’s crown. If that was what it took, then maybe they could do this. Sonic had many forms. One glowing and unmoving, one fast and spiky, one giant and confused, and a new one that sort of combined all of them. But no matter how he looked, one thing remained constant. He was their son, and they would love him regardless.

But...

Brown eyes land on a faintly glowing emerald in Sonic's chest.

Maybe they should still visit Tikal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bet you weren't expecting this?
> 
> Now, before you start thinking it, I am NOT abandoning the Paradox fic. I've just been feeling very inspired and really wanted to write something about my other favorite Sonic AU. Right now, the Paradox fic is my focus, while the Gemhog AU sits on the back burner. As such, updates for electric blue won't be following a regular schedule, at least not until the Paradox fic is done.
> 
> I tried my best to finish this chapter in time for the release of the Sonic Movie in the Japan. Sorry if it's a little rushed.
> 
> If you know your Sonic lore, Chaos has multiple forms. Gem Sonic follows that pattern. Think of the little puppy form he turns into here as his version of Chaos 1. Or rather, Negative Chaos 1. I know that this whole chapter sort of diminishes the happy ending of chaos theory, but realistically, there had to be some consequences. The hedgie's been through a lot, and it's going to affect him. Puppy Sonic here keeps his memories and rational thinking but they sometimes get overwhelmed by his instincts or emotions. As shown, he is unable to speak in this form and moves on all fours.
> 
> Leave any comments, questions, and concerns below! See you next chapter!
> 
> UPDATE: Now with lovely illustrations by SmallPwbbles and Solar-Socks! Their tumblrs are https://smallpwbbles.tumblr.com/ and https://solar-socks.tumblr.com/ respectively. Go show these awesome artists some love and support!


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